Welcome to game 23 of our long running (epic?) campaign. In this battle
The Imperial forces advance at pace, having smashed aside the Renegade forces before them. But the speed of their push has left the spearhead dangerously exposed and from orbit, Baalor the Horned plans to punish the Imperials for their hubris.
Previous games in this campaign can be found here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Gordy2000%27s_Battle_Reports
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Canoness Hespatia dismounted her Rhino carrier alongside her retinue. Before her stretched a low valley bordered by a sluggish river.
A perfect place to engage the last remaining Renegades in this sector.
Her Fraters Militia fanned out towards some nearby ruins as her armour and penitent engines prowled forwards.
Whatever paltry resistance the traitor scum put up would be swiftly crushed by her superior force.
Through the trees across the valley Hespatia saw movement as renegade walkers moved up. A slow smile of satisfaction split her usually stern visage.
Good, the heretics were coming to her. All the better that she might purge them swiftly and mercilessly….
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The field of battle with Sisters to the left and renegade units to the right
A renegade Leman Russ waits in ambush
Church units move up
Militia reach the ruins
Ready to dispense some cleansing flame
Renegade Sentinels engage the leading Sister armour
Pop smoke!
The Canoness and retinue dismount
In cover and feeling zealous
Penitent Engines push up
Combined Imperial fire blasts away two sentinels
Hespatia and retinue make sure of the third
Suddenly, with a tearing of reality, something fell steps form the warp…
Once more, Baalor the Horned treads the soil of Triskelion
More portals erupt across the battlefield and the Imperial forces are beset on all sides
Baalor and his chosen gun down a penitent engine
But the Canoness has surprises of her own – a powerful shot echoes across the field and glances off Baalor’s armour
Reinforcements move to cut off the newly arrived Chaos units
Across the valley, Inquisitor Torquemada dismounts to face the renegades
The penitent engine closes in on the Russ
“For the Emperor! No mercy!”
The Inquisitor smashes into the renegades
The penitent engine is less fortunate, blasted apart by the leman Russ
The Chaos Rhino disgorges a deadly cargo
The militia are sliced…
…diced..
...and blended
The Seraphim bravely charge the Chaos terminators
Their courage is not enough, and they are swatted aside
The last militia are cut down
The Emperor protects (well, sometimes)
A new ambush is revealed- a second assassin leaps at the Chaos Warlord
The last Penitent Engine arrives too late to save the militia, but not too late for vengeance
As does the penitent engine
Her speed allows her to land a single blow, but it is not enough. She is crushed contemptuously by Baalor
…who then turns his attention to the armour that just melted two of his retinue
The penitent engine smashes aside the Berserkers, but is cut down by the Blood Slaughterer
Torquemada disables the renegade tank
And the Renegade leader flees in the face of the wrathful sisters
Hespatia confronts the Chaos Lord in the title fight
But even her zeal is not enough in the face of 10,000 years of bloody warfare. She is laid low and her retinue slaughtered by Baalor the Horned
Chaos victory!
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Hespatia swung in low with her power mace, hoping to catch the Chaos leader by surprise. She was taken aback by his speed – how could something so huge move so quickly?
The backhand blow sent her sprawling amongst the torn bodies of her retinue. She spat out a handful of teeth and began to push herself back up. But once again the giant’s speed caught her.
She found herself pinned under the claw of the monster before she could react.
“Traitor!” she hissed. “I fear no heretic”
A low rumbling came from the armoured helm. It took Hespatia a few moments to realise it was laughter
“Your bravery does you credit, little sister. Few are those who dare resist me” Baalor chuckled.
“I encounter so little courage in this diminished galaxy, it would be a shame to see it pass.” Baalor straightened and removed his claw from her prone form. “I grant you your life, in salute of your valour”
Hespatia spat a gob of blood on the armoured giants boot. “I seek no boon from you scum – the Emperor is my shield and it is to him alone I owe my life!”
In a flash the Canoness found herself pinned once more, the sizzling claw pressed into her neck. Baalor loomed over her, radiating fury and menace.
“The emperor?” he snarled “You dare speak to me of the emperor?” Baalor leaned in close. Despite herself, Hespatia recoiled as he growled out the words
“What do you know of your emperor? Stories? Hymns? Statues and stained glass?” The claw pressed deeper
The ancient, terrible voice filled her head “All you have is slavish devotion and mindless obedience. You call me traitor? I, who have stood at the side of your emperor?”
Hespatia gave a low moan of denial
“Yes, little sister, for all your faith, the emperor is silent to you, whilst I fought by his side on the long road to Ullanor.” Baalor pressed close. “Your emperor is no god, just a flawed man who betrayed us all.”
The Canoness squeezed her eyes closed and waited for the end. She gave up a prayer to the Emperor and commended her soul to his keeping.
Darkness beckoned, but the blow did not fall. After a time, Hespatia opened her eyes and found herself alone on the battlefield, the silence broken only by the crackling flames of burning tanks.
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Next battle – Void War. The Salamanders fight a counter-boarding action on a seized orbital platform.
Loving the twists and turns of the narrative, and achingly beautiful painting and modelling skills on display as always. Nice one Gordy!
